Six dead in seaplane crash north of Sydney

[Boac]

In November 1996, VH-IDI, then a wheeled crop-dusting Beaver, struck its left wing on the top of a hill and cartwheeled, killing the pilot. Re-built and returned to crop-dusting until re-registered as VH-NOO in 2000 as a seaplane.
History:

Hawker de Havilland Australia. Delivered 19-Nov-1963.

• VH-IDI Super Spread Aviation. Regd 05-Feb-1964. Canx ca. 1987.

• VH-IDI Leafair. Cheltenham, VIC. Dates unknown.

• VH-IDI Tableland Topdressing Pty., Ltd., Armidale, NSW. Circa 1992.

• VH-IDI Leafair Pty., Ltd., Moorabin, VIC. Canx 17-Feb-2000.

• VH-NOO Addenbrook Marine Pty., Pyremont, NSW. dba Sidney Harbour Seaplanes. Re-regd 17-Feb-2000.

• VH-NOO Jambren Air Services Pty., Ltd., Wahroonga, NSW. Regd 11-Jan-2002.

• VH-NOO Sidney Harbour Seaplanes. Circa Jun-2002.

• VH-NOO Seaplane Safaris. Circa Sep-2003 – Jul-2005.

• VH-NOO Seaplane Assets, Pty., Ltd., t/a Southern Cross Seaplanes Pty., Ltd., Rose Bay, NSW. Now t/a Sydney Seaplanes. Regd 02-Aug-2006.

[AtomKraft]

At the (considerable) risk of sounding pedantic, this a/c was not a Seaplane.

It's a floatplane.

An example of a Seaplane would be a Sunderland.

[Cacophonix]

At the (considerable) risk of sounding pedantic, this a/c was not a Seaplane.

It's a floatplane.

An example of a Seaplane would be a Sunderland.

We like pedants around here.

You are right, of course, in the sense that a Catalina, for example, has a hull that is immersed in the water, whether it be sea water, lake water or river water as opposed to a, another example, Cessna floatplane, which has floats.

If Viking Air agrees with you then who am I to disagree.

The terms “floatplane” and “seaplane” are used interchangeably in some countries, but technically have different meanings.

Both a floatplane and a seaplane can takeoff from, and land on, water such as oceans, seas, rivers, and gulfs. Both can transport people or supplies. A floatplane is technically a type of seaplane.

Flying Boat Seaplane
An often referred to type of seaplane is a "flying boat" which is built around a single hull which serves as the plane’s floating body/fuselage. A flying boat takes off from and lands on its belly. The term flying boat is less common as of late but is still referenced in official documentation and definitions. Often when people say seaplane, they mean flying boat.

Floatplane
On the other hand, a floatplane is also referred to as a "pontoon plane." Instead of a hull that can land on water, a floatplane has floats or pontoons which serve as the surfaces to land on and take off from, as is the case for the Viking Twin Otter when it has float landing gear in place. The hull/body/fuselage of a floatplane is not intended to touch the water.

https://www.vikingair.com/viking-news/t ... d-seaplane

I don't normally post music vieos on serious aviation related pages but I think as a salute to this point and in respectful memory of the folks in this case I am going to that just this once...

[bbvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w_v0k57KhE[/bbvideo]

Caco

[Boac]

At the (considerable) risk of sounding pedantic, this a/c was a Seaplane. I reckon those Australian companies thought so too. A Sunderland is a Flying Boat. I think 'Viking' are a little confused.

Borrowing the pedant's hat I refer AK to the OED, Merriam-Webster, CED, etc etc drone drone drone.

THINKS: What if a 'seaplane' never operates on the sea but only on fresh water..............................? Hey! Life's a bitch, ain't it?

[Alisoncc]

Even if it doesn't go to sea, Boac? How about riverplanes and lakeplanes?

[Boac]

Don't know, Alison - if it bothers you take it up with the OED.

What if a 'float plane' sinks?

Got a special offer for you...................

[om15]

The installation of Wipline floats to the Cessna Caravan by the STC holder Wipaire gives the same configuration as the Beaver, ie external floats rather than the hull being used for flotation.
The STC holder refers to the aircraft as either amphibious or seaplane in the supporting documents. see here-

https://www.wipaire.com/aircraft_page/c ... an-series/

We always refer to this aircraft as a seaplane, but strictly speaking I think the correct term may be amphibian.

[AtomKraft]

Ok.
Well, no one would refer to a Beaver on floats as a 'Flying boat' would they? So we can rule that term out.

Unless it had wheels in the floats (which it may have done, although I don't think so) then 'Amphibian' cannot be correct.

I would say a Catalina (which has wheels) could fairly be described as an 'Amphibian', but especially if our Catalina is one of the wheel-less Catalina variants- like an early Canso or PBY, then 'sea plane' or 'flying boat' might also be correct, but 'floatplane' clearly wrong.

Now a Beaver without floats is clearly neither a Seaplane, flying boat or an amphibian....

But if you stick FLOATS on it, it becomes a Floatplane.

[Cacophonix]

Don't know, Alison - if it bothers you take it up with the OED.

What if a 'float plane' sinks?

Got a special offer for you...................

Well of course they do call the do call the diving planes on a submarine hydoplanes... as for the rest you will have trouble if you plane against the grain!

Why am I being drawn into this madness...?

I suppose that agent provocateur Boac has laughed so hard now that he has done the elephant trick all over his keyboard given that that he has sown the seeds of fear, uncertainty and doubt in our minds...

I am beFUDdled!

Caco

[Boac]

I have been wondering if one can be pedantic about pedantry?

[Stoneboat]

My (now lapsed) pilot's license is annotated SMELS, which means Single & Multi Engine Land & Sea. No mention of floats. Seaplane it is, at least as defined by the Canadian Ministry of Transport. A Catalina (Canso) is a PBY-5A, or a -6A. Guess what the A stands for.

[Cacophonix]

The PB stood for Patrol Bomber. I have no idea about Y the and the A, I guess, is the is for Amphibian, so what about amphibious floats? Does an aircraft fitted with these become an amphibious float seaplane?

And what about so-called seaplanes that never see the sea? You see what destruction Atomkraft (aided and abetted by Boac I might add) has wrought with this knotty question?

Caco

[Cacophonix]

The PB stood for Patrol Bomber. I have no idea about Y the and the A, I guess, is the is for Amphibian, so what about amphibious floats? Does an aircraft fitted with these become an amphibious float seaplane?

And what about things like these...

Ultralightseaplanefloatamphibian.JPG (69.83 KiB) Viewed 344 times

And what about so-called seaplanes that never see the sea? You see what destruction Atomkraft (aided and abetted by Boac I might add) has wrought with this knotty question?

Caco

[Boac]

Fine leg, Caco, and maybe even a stocking top?

NO not the bloke!! I don't THINK he is (or was) a BA777 Captain

[Cacophonix]

Fine leg, Caco, and maybe even a stocking top?

NO not the bloke!! I don't THINK he is (or was) a BA777 Captain

As you say Boac, some questions are just best left unanswered!

Caco

[Stoneboat]

Y was the manufacturer, Consolidated Aircraft, and also applied to those contracted to Boeing in Vancouver and Canadair in Montreal.

And what about things like these...

That is a fcuking abortion and anyone who'd strap one to their ass and take it airborne is nuts.

[AtomKraft]

Not all Catalina had wheels you know. The early ones were water landings only. Same for the Canso.

Just sayin.....

[Cacophonix]

Y was the manufacturer, Consolidated Aircraft, and also applied to those contracted to Boeing in Vancouver and Canadair in Montreal.

Cheers for the info Stoneboat

That is a fcuking abortion and anyone who'd strap one to their ass and take it airborne is nuts.

I tend to agree with you.

Caco

[Cacophonix]

Not all Catalina had wheels you know. The early ones were water landings only. Same for the Canso.

Just sayin.....

So some Catalinas weren't amphibians but were simply seaplanes! There is a logic to the Atom Viking definition methinks!

Caco

[Stoneboat]

Not all Catalina had wheels you know.

Yep, the PBY-1 through 5 were straight flying boats. The -5A became the first amphibious version. Only the RCAF called them Cansos, named for the strait between Cape Breton Island and mainland Nova Scotia.